MEDIA Clock Ticks On Steussie

The Todd Steussie saga will take a major turn in the next two days,
but the Vikings aren't sitting still on the matter. In lieu of being
forced to release him, the team is trying to trade him if he won't
agree to a new contract proposal.

The Todd Stuessie melodrama has taken a new turn, as the Vikings now
seem willing to trade him if they can get a draft pick for next
month's draft in return.

The Vikings were initially looking for a second- or third-round pick,
but, getting no takers, VU has been told they have shown a willingness
to drop that request down to a fourth-round pick to get a taker.

VU has been told the sides are scheduled to talk today and hopefully,
some progress will be made.

TUESDAY NOTES
* As reported yesterday, the Giants were interested in hiring Fred von
Appen as their special teams coach. That interest became official as
von Appen signed on with the G-Men Monday.
* The Vikings are expected to re-open contract talks with Matt Birk
this week in hopes of getting a long-term deal signed.
* The Vikings may have an interest in former Raider and Chief Chester
McGlockton as a defensive tackle replacement. He's good friends with
Ed McDaniel and, because of his recent injury history, his price may
be lower than other top defensive linemen in the free agent market.
* Corbin Lacina lost out on a chance to get big money from Arizona
when the Cards signed Pete Kendall Monday.
* From the Can You Believe It? Department comes this -- Daunte
Culpepper had never been shut out in a game prior to the NFC title
loss to the Giants -- not in college, high school, junior high or Pop
Warner ball.
* There's an interesting story on a website about sport superstarz
(their spelling, not ours) that quotes several unnamed Vikings as
saying what a jerk Robert Smith was. From what we've seen of the
story, it is a complete pack of lies and surprisingly, all the players
quoted seem to speak in the exact same way the "columnist" writes.
While Smith wasn't the most popular player in the clubhouse, teammates
wouldn't make the disparaging remarks attributed in the story and,
hopefully if Smith sees it, he can sue the "author" for making up
quotes and dismis